Looper for sewing-machines.



No. 678,627. Patented July I6, I91.

F. H. RICHARDS.

LUOPER FOB SEWING MACHINES.

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No. 678,627. Patented my 16, l90l.- F. u. mcmxnns.

LUUPEB FUR SEWING MACHINES.

(Application filed Apr. 15, 1898.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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LOOPER FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 678,627, dated July 16, 190 1. Applicationfiled April 15. 1898. Serial No. 677,781. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS II. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loopers for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification. I a

This invention relates to loo pers or shuttles to be employed in what is known as a combined lock-stitch and chain-stitch sewingmachine, in which the stitchonaking mechanism includes a movable needle, a looper, and means for actuating the needle and looper in proper timing with relation to each other and in which the loop of the needle-thread may be engaged by the looper and caused to include a second or lower thread to form a lock-stitch or may be carried through a preceding loop to form a chain-stitch.

Principally the object of the present invention is to provide a looperhaving sets of looptakers all operative in the same direction, one set of loop-takers being effective in the formation of one kind of stitch and another set of loop-takers independently effective in the formation of another kind of stitch.

A further object of the invention is to provide a looper having sets of loop-takers all operative in the same direction, whereby the looper may be adjusted to form either one kind of stitch or another kind of stitch, as required, and in this way may be made to cooperate with a change-stitch mechanism by which this result may be effected.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a looper having two independent sets of loop-takers which are so constructed and disposed that the distance between the loop-holding portions of adjacent loop-takers of one set is greater than the distance between the loop-holding portions of adjacent loop-takers of another set, whereby one set of loop-takers may be rendered effective in the formation of one kind of stitch and another set of loop-takers effective in the formation of another kind of stitch.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of my improved looper shown on a relatively large scale. Figs. 2 and 8 are opposite side views,respectively,of the looper. Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views drawn in projection with one another and each showing a portion of the looper in side elevation,

the former showing one position of the looper during the formation of a lock-stitch and the latter showing one position of the looper during the formation of a chain-stitch, and said two figures indicating the difference in distances between the loop-holding portions of the adj acentlock-stitch loop-takers and chainstitch loop-takers, and also indicating the difference in distances between such looptakers and a common point, as required by the difference in the amount of thread used in making the two kinds of stitches. Figs. 6 and 7 are corresponding views of two pieces of thread and illustrate substantially the lengths of thread required for reaching from looptaker to loop-taker in making the two different stitches illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, respec tively. Fig. 8 is a side View, partly in section, of a portion of the stitch-making mechanism employed in connection with the looper, and shows one loop as having been formed and carried around the looper to a position where it has fully drawn up the preceding stitch or loop, and shows the upper portion of said loop as engaged by a stitch-changing device and deflected laterally of the needle-path. Said figure also shows a needle with its point just passing through the fabric. Fig. 9 is a front view of the parts illustrated in Fig. 8, showing said parts in corresponding positions. Fig. 10 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the looper and stitch-changing device, partially in section, showing said parts in the positions illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9. Figs. 11, 12, and 13 are views corresponding to Figs. 8, 9, and 10, respectively, of the same parts and show the loop carried around the looper to its greatest-slack position and the stitchchanging device as having been partially retracted, the needle in this position of the parts holding the deflected portion of the loop in a position to permit the succeeding loop just formed to pass through the preceding loop when engaged by its loop-taker and carried around the looper, Fig. 13 being drawn to an enlarged scale; and Figs. 1-]: and 15 are side and enlarged plan views, respectively, similar to Figs. 8 and 10, of the same parts, showing a succeeding loop as having been carried through a preceding loop by the looper and the stitch-changing device as fully retracted.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

My improved looper may be embodied in a sewing-machine that is in a general way similar to the machine described in Letters Patent of the United States No. 574,573,granted to me January 5, 1897, to which reference may be had, such a machine with a stitchchanging attachment being also shown in my application filed December 23, 1899, Serial No. 741,368, and constituting a division of the.

present case.

My improved looper S in the preferred form thereof is, except in some particulars hereinafter set forth, similar in a general way to the discoidal loop-taker described in the patent above referred to and is to be supported below the bed of the machine for rotative movement in a plane oblique to the path of the needle, as shown in Figs. 9 and 12. Said looper will in practice be furnished with some suitable meanssuch as shown, for instance, in the patent referred to, but not shown in the accompanying drawings-for carrying a lower thread cop or bobbin and will also be provided with some suitable tension device for said lower thread.

In the form thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings the looper or shuttle has two independent sets of circumferentially-disposed loop-takers, those of one set, which may be termed the lock-stitch set, being designated in a general way by h, h, and 71. respectively, and those of the other set, which may be termed the chain-stitch set, by 'i, t, and i respectively, there being, preferably, three loop-takers in each set and each embodying a loop-taker 8 and a loop-deliverer 9, the loop-takers of both sets all pointing in the same direction and being preferably equidistantly disposed relatively to one another and the loop-takers of one set preferably alternating with those of the other set, as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings. The looptakers and loop-deliverers of both sets of the loop-taking devices have each a loop-holding portion, those of one set being designated by 10 and 12, respectively, and those of the other set by 13 and 14:, respectively. 7 In the operation of making different kinds 7 of stitches by means of differential stitch mechanism, including a reciprocatory needle and a rotary looper having a plurality of loop-takers adapted for carrying successive loops at the same time, it is desirable both for lock'stitching and chain-stitching that the succeeding loops shall all be drawn out corresponding distances, so as to contain substantially the same quantity of thread, the major portion of the thread in each successive loop being drawn directly from the preceding loop during the travel of the looper a predetermined arc distance and the remainder of the thread necessary to complete the succeeding loop t'. e., a portion equal to that.

utilized in making the preceding stitchbe-' ing drawn directly from the'spool.

By practical experiments it has been demonstrated that to secure the best results with a mechanism of the class specified each preceding loop must be fully drawn up and tightened, and each succeeding loop, which is developed mostly from said preceding loop, must be fully drawn out during the time elapsing after the needle is withdrawn from and before it renters the fabric. Furthermore, it is necessary that each preceding loop shall be fully drawn up and tightened by the loop-taker carrying the succeeding loop before said loop-taker begins to draw thread from the spool to complete said succeeding loop, irrespective of the kind of stitch being made.

Owing to the fact that a greater amount of thread is required and utilized from each preceding loop in making a chain-stitch than from a lock-stitch it necessarily requires in developing successive chain-stitch loops that less thread be drawn from preceding loops and more thread from the spool during the travel of the loop through successive predetermined arc distances than is required in the development of succeeding lock-stitch loops. Therefore it will be seen that when a chain-stitch is being made by stitch mechanism of the class specified, embodying a rotary looper having two independent sets of loop-takers, there will be less thread remaining in the preceding and succeeding loops to reach from their respective loop-takers to the fabric than there is when a lock-stitch is being made.

For the purpose of rendering the differential stitch mechanism, including a looper having a plurality of independent sets of loop-takers, eifective in the formation of different kinds of stitches and to insure the proper drawing up of preceding loops in proper timing and prevent the overtightening or breaking of the thread extending from one loop-taker to another during the drawing up of a preceding loop by the loop-taker carrying the succeeding loop, as would probably occur if thread were drawn from the spool in the developing of a succeeding loop before or during the drawing up of the preceding loop, I have so constructed the looper that the distance between adj acentloop-holding portions of adjacent loop-takers of one set is different from that between corresponding portions of adjacent loop-takers of the other set. There being less thread from the spool utilized in the making of a lock-stitch, and therefore more slack thread to reach from loop-taker to looptaker than in a chain-stitch, the distance between the loop-holding portions 10 and 12 of adjacent loop-takers of the lock-stitch set is made somewhat greater than that between 1 corresponding portions 13 and 14: of adjacent loop-takers of the other set, as will be readily understood by reference to Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, which diagrammatically illusi trate the difference in distance between loopholding portions of the adjacent loop-takers of the two sets and also the diiference in amount of thread in the lock-stitch and chainstitch loops. Each loop-taker of both sets is formed by the walls of a loop-receiving opening 0, transversely located in the periphery of the looper, as will be understood by reference to Figs. 2 and-3 of the drawings. Said looperis also shown having in one face thereof three preferably equidistant driver-sockets (designated by e,f, and g, respectively) adapted to receive successive driving-pins upon a driverof themachine. Eachdriver-socketof the series of driver-sockets is shown (see Fig. 3) located substantially midway between a lock-stitch loop-taker and a chain-stitch looptaker or between the loop-receiver of one set of loop-takers and the loop-deliverer of the other set.

Inasmuch as the operation of the needle and looper mechanisms in the present 1nachine in forming a lock-stitch is in all essential characteristics the same as that in the machine described in the patent herein before referred to a detailed description of this operation is deemed unnecessary, it being sufficient to say in forming a lock-stitch that the successive loops L are formed on the descending movement of the needle N and are successively engaged by successive looptakers of the lock-stitch set of the looper and carried around said looper during the rotation thereof to inclose the lower thread tand form a lock-stitch, each preceding loop being drawn taut by a succeeding loop as said succeeding loop is carried around and drawn out during the rotation of the looper, as will be understood by reference to Fig. 4 of the drawi n gs.

The looper S in the form shown will be constantly rotated during the stitching operation in one direction, preferably in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2, and toward the front side of the machine.

As a simple and convenient means for changing the form of stitch resulting from the normal operation of the needle and looper mechanism hereinbefore described without effecting a change in the direction of movement of the looper or the feed mechanism (not shown) or in the mode of operation of the several lock-stitch-forming elements, I may employ a stitch-changing device, shiftable into a position for cooperation with the looper when one particular set of loop-takers is in operative relation with the needle and adapted for engaging the upper portions of successive loops and deflecting said portions laterally of the path of the needle so that succeeding loops may pass through preceding loops and cause the stitch-making mechanism to produce a chain-stitch. The construction and organization of the stitchchanging devices will be such that the same may be thrown into and out of operative relation with the looper concurrently with the adjustment of the loopercircumferentially to bring one or the other set, as the case may be, into operative relation with the needle, and to do this without the necessity of changing the direction of rotation of the looper or' without the removal orsubstitution of parts, as is ordinarily necessary.

The driving and actuating mechanism for the needle-bar and looper will be of substantially the same general construction and organization as that in the patent referred to, and practically constitutes a unitary mechanism consisting of a train of cooperativelyconnected actuating devices, one of which constitutes an actuator for the needle-bar and another for the looper, and all of which cooperate to secure a predetermined relation of movement between said needle-bar and looper, and reference may be had to the afore said patent for a more complete description of said mechanism.

To illustrate the manner in which my improved looper operates, I have shown a stitchchanging device comprising a loop-diverter 80, fulcrumed intermediate its ends at 25, below the bed-plate of the machine for horizontal oscillation across the path of the loops, which may be actuated by a connecting-rod 34, as fully described in my application above mentioned.

To secure the best results in the operation of the stitch-changing device in forming a chain-stitch when the chain-stitch loop-takers are in operative relation with the needle, it is desirable that the loopdiverter 30 be advanced to engage and deflect the upper portion Z of the loop immediatelyafter said loop has been carried substantially to a position where it has fully drawn up the preceding stitch or loop, as shown in Figs. 8, 9,'and 10, and shall be retracted and released from said portion of the loop just before the loop arrives at its retightening position, as shown -in Figs. 14 and 15, or, in other words, the deflection of the upper portion Z of the loop should take place during the travel of the loop around the looper from its fully-drawnout position to its retightening position or when sufficient slack thread exists in the loop proper to permit the deflection of the upper portion of the loop without the necessity of drawing off more thread from above the needle-point. For accomplishing this purpose mechanism shown in my application aforesaid may be employed, and it will be so timed with reference to the movement of the looper that it will advance the stitclrchanging device to its loop-diverting position immediately after the loop has arrived at a position where it has fully drawn up a preceding stitch or loop and will effect the retraction of said device to an ineifective position immediately preceding the arrival of the loop at its retightening position. Other instrumentalities may, however, be employed for actuating the loop-diverter or 1oop-deflector, if desired. On the engagement of the upper portion Z of the loop by the working end of the loop-diverter said portion will be thrown sidewise slightly in advance of the path of movement of the needle to allow said needle to enter the loop in the rear of the deflected portion of said loop, and so that on the engagement of a succeeding loop by the looptaker the deflected portion of the preceding loop will be in position to allow the succeeding loop to pass through the same, and thererection opposite to that just described, which will bring the lock-stitch loop-takers into op erative relation with the needle and throw the stitch-changing device into an inoperative position.

It will of course be understood that when a chain-stitch is being made the lower thread normally carried by the looper will be dispensed with or dropped, so as not to be en gaged by the successive loops as they are formed, and that when it is desired to form a lock-stitch or a lock chain-stitch the end of the lower thread will be drawn up through the throat-plate of the machine in the usual manner.

By so constructing and organizing the looptakers of the looper that the distance of the adjacent loop-holding portions of successive loop-takers of one set of the chain-stitch looptakers is less than the distance between corresponding portions of successive loop-takers of the other set each set of loop-takers is especially adapted to one particular kind of stitch to be made-that is to say, the distance between these portions of the chain-stitch loop-takers should be such that when a preceding loop is being drawn up by a succeeding loop the thread contained in the two loops will readily reach from loop-taker to looptaker without such undue stretching of the thread as would be liable to cause the same to break, and such distance should be great enough to retain the loop taut and prevent the preceding loop from accidentally catching on another loop-taker, this also being the case with the lock-stitch loop-takers.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. A looper having a plurality of sets of loop-takers all of which are operative in the same direction and are so disposed that certain loop-takers of one set are located between certain loop-takers of another set.

2. A looper having independent sets of loop-takers all operative in the same direction and each of which has an independent loopreceiving opening contiguous thereto, each opening of one set of loop-takers being of greater dimensions than the dimensions of each opening of the other set of loop-takers.

3. A looper having independent sets of loop-takers all operative in the same direc tion, and the loop-takers of one set alternating with those of the other set, and all said loop-takers being so constructed and disposed that the distance between the loop-carrying portions of successive loop-takers of one set will be greater than that between corresponding portions of successive loop-takers of the other set.

4. Alooper havingaplurality of loop-takers all operative in the same direction and each of which has an independent loop-receiving opening contiguous thereto, the loop-receiving opening of one loop-taker being of greater dimensions than that of the loop-receiving opening of another loop-taker.

5. A looper having two independent sets of loop-takers all operative in the same direction, each of which loop-takers has a loop-receivin g opening contiguous thereto, the loopreceiving openings of one set of loop-takers being of greater dimensions than the loopreceiving openings of the other set of looptakers.

6. A looper having a plurality of loop-takers all of which are operative in the same direction and are so disposed that certain looptakers of one set are located between certain loop-takers of another set, each of said looptakers having an independent loop-receiving opening contiguous thereto, each opening of one set of loop-takers being of greater dimensions in the direction of movement of the looper than that of each opening of the other set of loop-takers.

7. A looper having two independent sets of loop-takers, each set comprising three looptakers, and all the loop-takers being operative in the same direction, the loop-takers of one set alternating with those of the other set, and said loop-takers being so disposed that the distance between the loop-carrying portions of successive loop-takers of one set is greater than that between corresponding portions of successive loop-takers of the other set.

8. A looper having loop-takers all operative in the same direction and each formed by the walls of a loop-receiving opening transversely located in said looper, each loop-taker embodying a loop-taking portion and a loop-delivering portion, and the recess between the loop-taking and the loop-delivering portions of one loop-taker being greater in the direction in which the looper is to be actuated than the recess between the loop-taking and loopdelivering portions of the next adjacent looptaker.

9. Adiscoidal looper adapted forcontinuous rotation in the same direction and equipped with sets of loop-takers all pointing and operative in the same direction, each loop-taker embodying a loop-taking portion and a loopdelivering portion, and the loop-taking portions of adjacent loop-takers of one set being a greater distance apart than the loop-taking portions of adjacent loop-takers of another set.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

F. N. CHASE, JOHN O. SEIFERT. 

